Knicks G Chauncey Billups out with bruised left thigh

Associated PressKnicks' guard Chauncey Billups sits on the bench with an ice pack on his leg during the final minutes of New York's game against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday.

Point guard Chauncey Billups will miss the New York Knicks’ game against New Orleans tonight because of a bruised left thigh.

Billups was hurt when he banged into Magic center Dwight Howard in the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ 116-110 loss in Orlando yesterday. The Knicks say it’s too soon to determine Billups’ status for their next game, at home Friday against Cleveland.

Billups scored 30 points before leaving with 2:13 left Tuesday and is averaging 23.3 in four games since arriving from Denver along with Carmelo Anthony in last week’s blockbuster trade.